Curious Cat In White Spats
by Magical Miss Brittstoffelees
Summary: Bustopher returns to the Junkyard and Tugger is furious with him. What will happen when Bustopher finds himself hanging over the edge? Pair of Preposterous Pairings Challenge. Yeah...don't ask...just read... One-shot -COMPLETE


Curious Cat in White Spats

**Brit: This is part 2 of my partner challenge with HowAboutThat, Pair of Preposterous Pairings. I'm sure by the title you have figured out whom it is. All I can do is smile and pretend I'm out of my mind….Because accepting this challenge was the stupidest thing I ever did…Anyways. This challenge is to take two different pairs and write a one-shot about them to see if you can make it work. These pairs have to be against every fibre of your very being. You can do this with a friend if you would like so long as you give HAT and I credit and add the challenge name into your summary. This is Tugger and Bustopher. But to be fair my other one was Tantomile and Coricopat. *shivers* And now I shall make this work…hopefully…Please enjoy….hopefully….**

Warm blue eyes scanned the clearing and the mild heat of the sunlight beat down on the mottled black back. He had black fur with grey leopard spots that were so dark they were almost invisible. His legs were golden with visible leopard spots and he had a thick and full brilliant golden mane that he tended to with great care and attention. He peered about lazily as his lithe and tall form stretched out on the Tire. His ears twitched from side to side as he took in the sounds that reverberated around the clearing. Bomba and Deme were sitting nearby gossiping with Cassandra and the Shadow Exotica. Asparagus, Admetus, Skimble and Alonzo were sitting near the entrance of the Junkyard, and talking among themselves quietly, most likely trying to figure out the next moves of their enemies. Misto, Jerrie, and Teazer played with the kittens in the center of the clearing…except…

Suddenly weight landed on his back and he yowled out in mock shock. He heard a small giggle and he peered up into the face of Etcetera. Her pretty pale emerald green sparkled in amusement and the manned tom chuckled, blinking at the young kitten.

"Hi Tuggsie!" She purred. Tugger rolled his eyes and chuckled again, rolling the kitten off his head and onto his paws in front of him. She sat staring up at him with huge eyes and a giggle.

"Hello kit. How is my favorite little fan?" Tugger purred. Etcy giggled and blinked at him.

"I am good…what about you?" She squeaked. Tugger huffed and rolled his eyes with a smile.  
"I am perfect. Specially now that you're here." He purred in amusement. Etcy let out a fit of uncontrollable giggles and Tugger chuckled and watched her until she could breathe again. Finally she blinked up at him and smiled.

"Guess what Carby did today?!" She breathed with round and amused eyes. Tugger smirked picturing his little mirror.

"What did he do?" Tugger asked. Etcy began bouncing a little.

"He was swaggering around just like you and then he started singing your song and danced with all of us!" She squeaked excitedly. Tugger chuckled.

"Now that I would have liked to see." He chuckled. Etcy purred and licked his nose.

"He was funny. But you are way better." She purred, batting her eyelashes and giving a pretty little smile. Tugger snickered a little and rubbed her ears.

"Thanks kit…" Suddenly he was cut off as he heard Jennyanydots squeal, much like Etcetera did…He didn't need to move from his position to know that Bustopher Jones had arrived in the Junkyard. Tugger smiled and picked up Etcetera by the scruff, setting her on the ground.

"Go see Busto." He chuckled. The kitten squeaked and scrambled away towards her mother, who was clinging to Busto's arm. Tugger rolled his eyes and watched the huge black and white tux walk into the yard…Though Jenny had a keen interest in the tom, he was nowhere near her age…Actually Busto was many years younger, and when he had lived in the yard as a kitten before he went pompous the elder tom had been Tugger's closest friend. He had been a roll in the mud, hunt, and wrestle kind of tom. Tugger now despised him…

When Bustopher's mother had died, he went proper the way she always wanted him to be. She had always told him to be polite, stay clean, do not associate with those lower than him. Though he was very high up in class now, and had gone 'proper' he still visited the 'riff raff' of the Junkyard…The day his mother had died though, Busto had left the yard, never to return to live there in the pipe he had lived in. He went to his mother's humans, and stayed, abandoning Tugger and every other Jellicle. Tugger had grown hurt and bitter. His mother had abandoned him, his first loves, and then his best friend…Tugger refused to talk to the old tom now. Tugger only hoped Mistoffelees did not follow in his uncles pawsteps when the fat old cat died.

Tugger snorted and closed his eyes, resting his head on his paws. He still listened to the sounds of the yard, but dozed off slightly, relishing in the warm sun on his back…Suddenly he was disturbed by a light tap on his nose…Bustopher's scent washed over him and he cracked open one narrowed eye.

"What do you want?" He growled coldly. For once no one else was surrounding the older tom. Older by only three years that is…His weight gain had made him look older than he was.

"Why I only wanted to say hello to my old friend." Bustopher said in his oh-so-irritating proper voice. His vivid brilliant blue eyes stared earnestly at Tugger. Tugger stood up, towering over the other tom and glaring down. His tail lashed furiously.

"Friend? Friend?" Tugger shook his head, with a snarl. "You lost the right to call me friend when you left the Junkyard…when you left me…and became and arrogant fool!" Tugger spat. He leaped off the Tires and padded away from the stunned tux tom. He moved across the clearing and vanished among the junk.

Soon Tugger came to a tall pile, not the tallest but still very tall…It was made up mostly of metals, but for some reason there was a stray mattress on the top. Tugger came here all the time and he used to come here with Busto before…he was abandoned again. He nimbly climbed the pile and reached the dark blue mattress. He stretched out on the warm fabric and closed his eyes…he slowly drifted into sleep…

Maybe an hour later he woke up to a startled yowl. He leaped up and peered over the edge of the mattress to see Busto hanging over the edge of the pile maybe half way down, his hind paws scrabbling furiously in the air. Tugger snarled with a huff, and leaped down, landing on the piece of fridge above the stout tux. He blinked down at him.

"You're an idiot." Tugger growled. Busto snarled.

"Just help me up you moron!" Bustopher snapped. Tugger blinked in surprise. It had been a very long time since he had heard that tone of voice…It was a less defined British accent with no trace of the strange pompous and important tone…he sounded just like any other Jellicle. Tugger blinked with a snort and reached down, clamping his jaws around the black fur of Busto's scruff. He groaned as he hulled the huge tom up, his own legs trembling with effort. Everlasting, he was heavy! Tugger however managed to pull him up, and scrambled back as the tux slumped to the fridge, panting. He looked up at Tugger.

"Thank you." His arrogant voice had returned and with a snarl Tugger scaled back to the top of the pile and slumped on his mattress…He could hear Bustopher trying to scramble up the pile, metal rattling against metal, and his soft curses and heavy and loud panting. Finally he reached the mattress and hauled himself up right behind Tugger, slumping down and panting. Tugger stiffened but didn't move, and didn't open his eyes.

Bustopher finally caught his breath and sat up, straight and proper, his ears straight. Tugger didn't notice but remained 'asleep'. Bustopher sighed.

"Tugger. What is it that has gotten your tail in a knot?" He asked in that irritating voice. Tugger's head snapped up and he twisted his head around to glare at the fat cat.

"You talk in that arrogant bitch voice again and I will rip your freaking throat out!" Tugger spat, before violently jerking his head back to his paws. Bustopher looked startled and cleared his throat.

"Um….I…I'm sorry?" His voice had returned to normal with some effort. He stared at his paws for a moment before he looked back up at the back of the large manned tom. "Why do you hate me?" The tux asked. Tugger growled low in his throat and sighed.

"Because. You ran away from your problems to become an arrogant fool and a pompous jerk!" Tugger snarled. "You left the Junkyard…You left me…You didn't talk to me for over a year, and you wonder why I won't talk to you anymore. You were my best friend Busto. Not just something to be thrown away. In case you didn't remember I had problems too…and you made them worse. You abandoned me just like everybody else. You think you are better than everybody but you are not…You are…or were…just one of us. But now you are nothing to me and everything to everybody else." Tugger snarled. He growled low and willed himself to fall asleep. Meanwhile Bustopher was staring at him with wide eyes.

"I…I didn't know." Busto murmured…That infuriated Tugger. He whirled around, on his paws in a heartbeat and hovered over the tux, who cowered down in shock.

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW?! You left me alone…you never came back…I told you everything when we were young and you turned around and repeated my history, even though you said you cared. I cared…You were my best friend, my brother…and…and…" Tugger's eyes suddenly widened a little and he turned stalking off the mattress, and beginning to scramble down the junk. Busto leaped to his paws.

"Tugger! Stop! I'm sorry ok?!" Anger entered the large cat's voice and Tugger froze, but did not face him. Simply growled. "I didn't know what to do! My mother had just died, and she wanted me to be something I wasn't…she hated you, and the other Jellicle's…But I didn't. I wanted to stay…but I was so grief stricken I did what she always asked me, and became something she could finally be proud of…Even if it didn't make me happy, it made her happy…I left because I couldn't stay and hurt anybody." Bustopher growled.

"But you did by leaving." Tugger rasped very quietly. Bustopher blinked and padded closer to him, and pressed against his flank. Tugger stiffened but didn't move away.

"I know. And I am sorry…I…if you want…I…I could still come back…and just be me again. I know being who I am now is making mother proud…But it is not making me happy…She is gone and I am left so I need to make me happy…and I was only ever happy…here…with you." He whispered. Tugger blinked and turned to peer into the serious deep blue eyes.

"Would you?" Tugger whispered, his eyes filled with grief. "Give up all that life, the riches, the women, the parties, the events, the food….for your life here?" He breathed. Bustopher moved a little closer, encouraged.

"Yes Tugger…I would. But not for the Junkyard." Bustopher meowed, his eyes serious, tentative, questioning. Tugger blinked and stared into his eyes.

"W…what would you give it up for?" Tugger breathed, barely audible. Bustopher leaned the slightest bit closer, his eyes filled with nervousness.

"You." He whispered. Tugger blinked, staring at the large cat for a very long time…so many questions…feelings…memories…they all rushed through him and finally he took a breath.

"They were never you." He breathed back. Bustopher knew exactly what he meant. The countless queens, and few toms….they were never Bustopher…Bustopher Jones was the one whom Tugger had always loved…And Tugger was the one Bustopher had always longed for.

Bustopher swallowed nervously, then slowly he leaned in. His lips met Tugger's. A jolt ran through both toms, fireworks, sparks, flames, butterflies…call it what you will, it was everything neither had ever felt with any other cat…Their kiss deepened and became more passionate. Tugger's lips tasted sweet of rum and something else, that was all Tugger…Bustopher's lips tasted sweetly of wine, fine foods and spices, and something that was his own as well…Their blue eyes fluttered closed and the leaned into it more…Finally they parted for air when Busto's hind paw slipped…he skidded backwards and Tugger jerked forwards and sank his teeth into Bustopher's scruff, pulling the overgrown tom back to safety with a new strength. As soon as he was steady on the pile again both burst out laughing, and Tugger smiled…this was how things were supposed to be…how things had been. With a smile Tugger led the tux back up to the mattress and the two curled up close together, drifting into a warm sleep.

_Memories came as dreams of two small kittens, bounding together among the junk and laughing, one small tux and one small manned black and golden tom with leopard spots. They giggled and rolled about, happily living life to its fullest, with no cares, no worries. Only one another, the endless playground of junk, the warmth of the sun on their backs, and a blossoming affection for one another. A bond that could never be broken no matter what trials it faced, no matter what bumps it hit…They would always be the best of friends, and they would always be together. _

**Brit: Well….I…I might have made that work.**

**Tugger: -_-**

**Me: What?**

**Tugger: You. Know. I. Hate. Bustopher.**

**Me: *holds up paws* Blame HAT! This one was all on her!**

**Tugger: *stalks away growling* HAT!**

**Me: *rolls eyes. Suddenly Jemima hobbles up and I pick her up* Hi Jemi.**

**Jemima: Hi Brit. *Jemima eyes***

**Me: *smiles sweetly* Will you please say it?**

**Jemima: *nods.* Yes! Please review! *Jemima eyes* **

**Me: Thank you. *smiles and scratches her ears.***

**Jemima: *giggles sweetly* You're welcome. **


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